1867. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



513 



EXTHACTS AND BEPLIES. 



TOBACCO AND BAD HABITS. 



Why is it that so many young men will soil 

 themselves with tobacco ? A cigar, a stove pipe 

 hat, a walking cane, a moustache, and exemption 

 from labor appear to be all the characteristics 

 of a gentleman which some of our young men 

 have the aml)ition to emulate. Why lounging, 

 tobacco-using, inim-drinkmg and vile language 

 are so much more comely to the young man than 

 to the young woman, I could never understand. 

 If I were a man, I'd be a man, and not depend on 

 relations for support, nor on something "to turn 

 up" for a living ; nor would I become the slave of 

 80 offensive, so debasing and so unclean a habit as 

 the use of tobacco ; which it is well known tends 

 to create an appetite or desire for more active 

 stimulants. Young men beware ; unless you make 

 up your minds to reform, unless you resolve im- 

 mediately to, slip your neck entirely clear of the 

 noose wliich your tobacco and loafing habits have 

 thrown over your heads, your escape will be evi- 

 dence that the days of miracles have not as yet 

 departed. Coka. 



East Charlemont, Mass,, Sept., 1867. 



Remarks. — The Chemical News notices a letter 

 written by the Abbe Migue, a celebrated literary 

 gentleman of France, in which he condenms the 

 use of tobacco, in a manner which is well calculated 

 to enforce the admonitions of our fair correspond- 

 ent. Of his own experience M. Migne says : "When 

 we began the editing of our lectures on analytical 

 mechanice, we used snuff to excess, taking 20 to 30 

 grammes per day, incessantly having recourse to 

 the fatal lx)x and snuffing up the dangerous stimu- 

 lant. The effect of it was, on the one hand, the 

 stiffening of the nervous system, which we could 

 not account for ; on the other hand, a rapid loss of 

 memory, not only of the present but of the past. 

 We had learned several languages by their roots, 

 and our memory was often at a loss for a word. 

 Frightened at this considerable loss, we resolved 

 in September, 1861, to renounce the use of snuff 

 and cigars forever. This resolution was the be- 

 ginning of a veritable restoration to health and 

 spirits, and our memory recovered all its sensibili- 

 ty and force." 



The News adds that "the same thing happened 

 to M. Dubrunfaut, the celebrated chemist, in 

 renouncing the use of tobacco." 



It is sometimes said that in this country every 

 man attains whatever rank of position he aspires 

 to and is qualified for. Young men should there- 

 fore carefully avoid everything which lowers or 

 debases themselves in their own estimation. 

 While tobacco stupefies the intellect and injures 

 the health, we believe that every one who has 

 become addicted to the habit must be conscious 

 of a defilement, which, in a greater or less degree, 

 unfits him for association with the neat and tidy. 

 "One of the most painful recollections of my expe- 

 rience in the use of tobacco," said a friend to us, 

 who had abandoned its use, "is that of the discov- 

 ery of a growing preference on my part for those 

 places and that company which tolerated and en- 

 couraged the indulgence of my vile habit." "Birds 

 of a feather flock together," says the old adage. 



Our railroad managers, in fitting up the "Smoking 

 Car" of their passenger trains with gaming facili- 

 ties, recognize this principle of association, — a 

 principle which no young man who indulges the 

 weed should ever forget. 



But aside from its injurious and debasing effects, 

 what a miserably disgusting habit it is ! Look at 

 the spittoons of our public houses, at the puddles 

 in our cars and steamboats ! Think where all this 

 offensive liquid comes from, and if you must, why 

 then, continue to 



"Smoke — puflF— spit — spurt," 

 But pray do it in some place and in some way 

 that will incommode as few of your fellow beings 

 as possible. 



We must close this "Extract and Reply," with 

 an extract from the "Musings of a Fond Mother," 

 recently contributed to the Vermont Record. After 

 detailing the accomplishments of her "blessed 

 boy" in the graceful use of "the weed" in all its 

 forms, this fond mother proceeds : — 



Already his face begins to wear 



A beautiful sallow hue; 

 And soon I expect to see his nerves 



Shake as his father's do : 

 Pufl"— munch — spit — spurt — 

 A promising lad is our Mandelbert I 



O, how I wish it would do for me 



To learn to smoke and chew I 

 It looks so nice, it smells so sweet— 



The cigar and Honey-Dew I 

 Smoke — chew — spit — spurt — 

 I wish /could do it like Mandelbert! 



But then — I can look at my darling boy, 



And smell his daddy dear, 

 And see the rich tints of the Honey-Dew 



On the stove and the carpet right here I 

 Fume — stain — spit — spurt — 

 A blessed boy is my Mandelbert I 



SUBSTITUTE FOR BEE-BREAD NOT YET FOUND. 



I am much obliged to your correspondents 

 "Selrahc" and H. Alley, for their suggestions, but 

 fear that the remedy is not yet found. Bees will 

 not use rye meal when there are blossoms within 

 their range; neither will they carry in saw-dust 

 except at such times as they will rye meal. Now 

 is sawdust a substitute for pollen ? or why will 

 they gather it and take it intotheii' hives ? In the 

 spring of 1866 our bees were in very good condi- 

 tion with a good supply of honey and a good num- 

 ber of bees in each stock. They commenced 

 work early in the season, and thus gave promise 

 of doing well. Soon after they began their work, 

 combined circumstances deprived them of their 

 usual supplies and in autumn they had less food in 

 their hives than when they were put out in the 

 spring. The result was, a large loss, not from the 

 want of honey, not from the ill-construction of the 

 hives, but from the lack of bee-bread, as I am still 

 inclined to think. 



I believe it was in the autumn of 1859 that I was 

 at Mr. Quinby's, a hive containing bees, near his 

 door. On inquiry I learned that they were to be 

 "brimstoned," being of no value to unite with 

 another swarm or to be kept by themselves, 

 because they were old. During the latter part of 

 the season, the swarm had been queenless, conse- 

 quently no bees had been reared, and ere another 

 working season those bees would die of old age. 



Twice our bees have failed to rear brood in the 

 latter part of the season, and in midwinter before 

 they can be fed with rye meal, saw-dust, or any- 



